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Pittsburgh Steelers Surrealism

  • August 15, 2009 11:02 am

Kids Travel to Favorite Sports Venue: Pittsburgh Steelers Heinz Field

Ok, folks, our family getaway Thursday has taken us hours to recover from. Some of you sports or travel fans might know what I’m talking about. Being passionate about both travel and sports – it shouldn’t have been so strange that this happened. We just woke up from a dream day!

Originally from the Pittsburgh area, George and I met at Ohio State and found so much in common – especially our faith, passion for life, and our beloved sports teams :-). We’ve been to tons of Buckeye games but neither one of us recalled ever having been to a Steelers game. Once we started a family, both kids became die hard Buckeye and Steelers fans, by default . We all truly enjoy watching football games – live or on the big screen. (yes, girlfriends, I am a real sports fan – ask my son) So, the dream to actually get to a Pittsburgh Steelers game was a big carrot out in front of us.

My awesome hubby came up with the idea just days before and got it in his head to look for preseason game tickets vs. regular season which we knew we’d have to pay a sweet ransom to get tickets from a broker (the Pittsburgh Steelers are the six-time World Champions, ya know) . Well, he got four tickets together (under $200) on the 20 yard line and we put the game on the calendar…

Thursday afternoon we headed to Pittsburgh for the first preseason game – a rematch of the Super Bowl – Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals!  Using the guidelines you can download from the Steelers.com website, we found parking for $5.00 at a garage at Sixth & Fort Duquesne Blvd., right across the street from the bridge to the North Shore. We walked over the pedestrian Roberto Clemente bridge (my son just did an essay on him this past school year – got an “A”) and before us was the Ohio River and PNC Park – home of the Pirates.

Riverfront walk to stadium w/ Clemente Bridge in background

As we walked along the riverfront, you could see fashionable boats docked (tailgating), the Incline, the skyline of downtown Pittsburgh and, finally, Heinz Field! Every person, I mean every person, we talked with was super friendly and dressed in Steelers colors! My kids freaked out!

Once inside the park, we immediately noticed how modern, comfortable and clean the stadium was. Better yet, the bright yellow-gold seats were super comfy. Something we’d recommend to any sports fan going to their first professional game is to get there at least two hours early. Pregames really set the tone & build excitement. What really wowed us about pregame was the Great Hall and the Pitts-burger sandwich from Primanti Bros. 

George & I outside the Great Hall
Franco Harris’ locker

The pictures give you a glimpse of some of the displays but this place is immense in size and content. From the Six, yes six! Championship trophies to the Immaculate Reception by Franco Harris in 1972 to the locker room personal artifacts in famous players lockers (ex. Bradshaw, Swann).

Every Primanti’s sandwich begins with soft Italian bread. It’s piled with meat and cheese, layered with hot fries, slapped with peppered slaw, topped with tomato, and crowned with the second slice that somehow balances on top. It’s all wrapped in waxed paper and given to you with a smile and offering to add Heinz 57 Sauce.

Pregame is also the time to get out those binoculars and try to find your favorite players warming up. The stadium camera hones in on various players and produces their interesting stats on the scoreboard. That, and they offer lots of contests pregame and have areas outside the stadium for kids. In the stadium’s west wing (home side) stands, we even took in a great jazz band playing.

Gate A view of rivers & incline
In our seats – pregame
Heinz Field pregame activities

Gametime was the most surreal of all – really too hard to put into words (but, if you see me at a booksigning sometime – ask me for more details). Btw, the Steelers won 20 to 10 and both touchdowns were at our end of the field! Oh, how sweet this day was..

For those of you following along by means of KIDS LOVE PENNSYLVANIA, pages 174 and 178 seem pale by comparison – that’s why you can always stay updated along with us by: UPDATES pages.  We promise, with our books as your base, combined with our updates, give you all the help you need to plan any daytrips – even the Sports fanatic kind!

LODGING AND DINING: CHICAGOLAND

  • August 13, 2009 12:23 pm

Jenny and I were off to Chicagoland to speak at a Homeschool Conference and came across A new place to dine and lodge. Whether you’re flying in (these are close to the airport) or driving in like us, this is a good area to base from. If you are driving in, you might want to take I-290 as I-90 is great scenery (downtown Chicago from the Sears Tower side) but loads of traffic!

DOUBLETREE HOTEL CHICAGO – Arlington Heights

As you enter the lobby and checkin, you’ll be greeted by friendly staff, yes, but even better – the smell of warm chocolate chip cookies! Each evening around checkin time, they bake their famous cookies (people love them so much they now ship them in tins) to give to guests as a welcome gift. If that doesn’t “grab” the kids attention, maybe the Fluffy bed and pillows in your room (popular Sweet Dreams pillows and plush top bedding) or the nice indoor atrium pool area and walking courtyard green space will. Just outside the fitness and pool area is a snack bar called Cravings – open 24 hours for late-night snack craving purchases. If you want, you can take the complimentary local area shuttle to the nearest Metra station and board the transit into downtown Chicago without the fuss (and expense) of parking.

The Birch River Grill Restaurant on the property was very good. (serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily) When you first walk in, it gives you a cozy feel…with a glowing fireplace one might find in a fishing lodge. A friendly wait staff and the smell of delicious food greet you at the entrance. They serve inspired

Girls Night Out

American dishes in generous portions. Everyone is sure to find something that they would enjoy to eat, from Granny Apple & Onion Soup (which is topped with cheese and fresh baked crisp apples) to even the simplest and cheesiest Mac & Cheese.  Signature meat entrees include Grilled Pork Tenderloin Served with real smashed potatoes and rustic cranberry apple sauce or grilled, rubbed steak served au jus.  Even the desserts are amazing, from a yummy carrot cake for two to the chocolate lover’s favorite Chocolate Temptation Cake (even the name makes you tempted to get it!). And, the Doubletree Cookies & Milk is the classic ending to Doubletree dining. Who would think a city known for pizza and beef would also have so many Southern twists (ex. Sweet potato fries or fried green tomatoes) and East Coast turns (crab cakes).

FOR MORE TO THE STORY: visit KIDS LOVE ILLINOIS UPDATES

 

Kids Love I-75 Reviews

  • August 12, 2009 2:12 pm

I-75 FAMILY TRAVEL GUIDE

Last week my family drove to Tennessee for vacation so we grabbed our Kids Love Travel I-75 book and hit the road!

We have a toddler so our main concern with a long drive is for him to get out and stretch his legs and play for a bit. We used the book to find a  fast food place that had a play land. The book was great because we could look at our drive in 20 mile increments and decide where we wanted to stop and plan ahead! It worked great and I highly recommend using this book for your travels with kids of any age! -Kristen Artrip, Ohio

Kids Love Travel on the Road Again

 Want a Dad’s perspective? Go to our friend, the FamilyMan, for his take:

http://www.familymanweb.com/rvblog/kids-love-i-75-by-george-michele-zavatsky